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Do You Focus on Fitness #4Mind4Body?

Mental health is essential to overall health and well-being. Mental illnesses are common and treatable. Much of what we do physically, impacts
us mentally, so it’s important to pay attention to your physical and mental health.

May is Mental Health Month, and the Laurence E. Schmidt Family Resource Center, a program of Vera Lloyd Presbyterian Family Services, is kicking
off "Fitness #4Mind4Body" to raise awareness about the important connection between physical and mental health.

A healthy lifestyle can help to prevent the onset or worsening of mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, heart disease, diabetes, obesity,
and other chronic health problems. It can also play a big role in recovering from these conditions. Taking good care of your body is part of a
preventative approach to mental health.

Here are four key areas to consider:
Exercise. Getting the appropriate amount of exercise can help control weight, improve mental health, and help you live longer
and healthier.
Nutrition. Recent research is also connecting your nutrition and gut health with your mental health.
Sleep. Rest plays a critical role in all aspects of our life and overall health. Getting a good night's sleep is important to
having enough physical and mental energy to take on daily responsibilities.
Stress Management. We all know that stress can have a huge impact on all aspects of our health, so it’s important to take time
to focus on stress-reducing activities like meditation or yoga.

The Schmidt Family Resource Center wants everyone to know that mental illnesses are real and recovery is always the goal. Living a healthy lifestyle
may not be easy, but by looking at your overall health every day – both physically and mentally – you can go a long way to ensuring that you have
Fitness #4Mind4Body.

Please join us on the VLPFS campus for a Mental Health Fair on May 23rd for FREE screenings, to help raise awareness and learn more about the mind-body
connection.

I can answer this question in one simple word, “NO!” Taking care of yourself is not about being selfish. As a matter of fact, it’s actually quite the contrary.
If you’re practicing routine self-care, you’re preparing and enabling yourself to continue nurturing others.

If you’re an empathetic, caring, loving, nurturing human being, you need to seek ways to find balance in your life. Caregivers and nurturers give so much
of themselves, mentally, physically, & emotionally, that they forget to care for themselves, or may even believe that caring for themselves is
selfish. If this is the case, this can lead to feelings of guilt and low self-worth. If my intuition is guiding me correctly, I would say that, if
you’re reading this, you fall into one of these categories: caregiver, nurturer, empath, and may even be in a profession that you were called to do
because of these amazing qualities you possess.

Having these qualities, you may excel in helping others, but you also may carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. You’re like an emotional sponge
absorbing all the emotions, moods, and energy around you. Unfortunately, you absorb the negative with the positive. Since you take on so much of others,
YOU get lost in the mix. This is why practicing self-care is so important. In order to continue caring & nurturing, you MUST find
balance, and once you find it, you MUST maintain it. I don’t often use words like “should” and “must,” because it can lead to negative thinking,
but I take exception in the case of self-care.

If you lose yourself in caring for others, you’ll burn out quickly & thoroughly. The negativity that you take on will take a toll on your mind, body,
and soul. You’ll become stressed out, depressed, and fatigued. Your immune system will take a wallop, and you won’t be able to bounce back. You’ll
become imbalanced & unfocused. You may already be at this point.

Practicing self-care is not about being selfish, it’s actually a way of ensuring you can continue your journey in helping others. Self-care can not only
assist you in achieving balance but is at the core of finding and maintaining balance in your life.

You’re probably wondering, “How can I prevent this from happening?” or “How can I crawl out of this steaming, smelly heap of negativity I’m already in?”

The answer is fairly simple: GOOD SELF-CARE. Repeat after me, “I need to take care of myself. I need to take care of myself. I need to take care of myself.” You’ve taken such good care of others but may not know where to begin in taking care of yourself. That’s why I created this list of tips below. Once
you get started, you’ll be able to identify your own list of self-care activities.

Unselfish Self-care Tips:

eat nutritious foods

drink plenty of water

avoid sugar

moderate caffeine intake

physical activity

dance, dance, dance

listen to uplifting and/or relaxing music

take a leisurely stroll

enjoy nature

take photos

look at photos

Yoga

Tai Chi

buy something for yourself, however small

eat a piece of chocolate

play with your child, grandchild, niece, nephew, friend’s child

treat yourself to a manicure, pedicure, massage, or all three, or DIY

read an inspiring book, story, or article

write yourself positive affirmations to read when you’re stressed or down

write yourself an uplifting letter, as if you’re writing to your best friend

enjoy the company of a pet

go window shopping

do an internet search for “self-care activities”

watch videos of babies or animals

watch a comedy

bake cookies/brownies & share with a neighbor

take a long, warm bubble bath

get a check-up with your doctor/eye doctor/dentist

take your meds as directed by your doctor

look in the mirror every day & find 3 things you love about yourself, then tell yourself

learn a new skill

find a hobby, or restart a past hobby

talk to yourself the way you would talk to your best friend, not your enemy

get to know yourself

recognize & use the talents you’ve been blessed with

Add to this list once you’re able to recognize how self-care works. It’s not about extravagance or selfishness. Self-care can be simple & inclusive
of whatever nurtures your mind, body, and soul. Keep your light shining brightly by practicing routine self-care.

May is National Mental Health Month. Our mental well-being is a component of overall positive health. Life can get so busy juggling extra responsibilities
and stressors. When it becomes excessive to the
point of negatively influencing every day functioning, it may be time to consider seeing a counselor/therapist. Work, school, family life and other
relationships can be impacted by unresolved stress.

According to a recent article in the Journal of Counseling Psychology (2016), many stigmas exist about seeking mental health counseling. A therapist?
But I am not “crazy!” Other resistant mindsets include being strongly motivated to protect self-concept, minimizing issues, gender resistance,
family, friend and co-worker attitudes, seeing it as a sign of weakness, being worried about confidentiality and not believing it will be effective.

Think of it as another confidante (who will not tell your business) and will provide advice and suggestions to promote positive living. Therapy can
also promote improved inner peace, help identify goals, assist with learning new patterns of behavior, clarify the thoughts and feelings of self
and others, and provide an impartial sounding board and a safe and friendly ear.

If you are someone you know is feeling overwhelmed with life, I encourage them or yourself to make an appointment to see a licensed professional counselor.